Red Riding Hood
by kisa-tiger-san
Summary: KaiShin AU; Kaito is the one that Shinichi keeps trying to protect. When a witch finally finds a way to capture him, Shinichi saves Kaito: but with a price.


A/N: Sorry for not putting this author's note up earlier, because my Internet got cut off again... Alright, I need suggestions for the next fairy tale I wanted to write~ Reviews are appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do nof own the characters of Detective Conan or Magic Kaito.

**Warning: Contains boyxboy, OOC-ness, crap**.

* * *

Once upon a time, in a little quaint village, there lived a boy by the name of Kudou Shinichi. His mother and father lived in the woods by themselves, and currently, he was living with his best friend, Ran. They often went around the town looking at the various shops, and often or not, Ran would bake some pastries to share with the Kudous.

"Shinichi!" Ran called out, a bowl of mix in her hands. The seventeen-year-old teenager looked up from reading, glaring at her in irritation. "What is it, Ran? I'm trying to read here..." he muttered, placing a bookmark in the middle and snapped it shut. Ran stuck her tongue out at him, gesturing for him to go over. Shinichi followed as she requested, hands on his hips. "I swear..." he muttered, sniffing at the pies. "Are those lemon pies I smell...?" he asked, pointing at the unbaked trays on the table.

Ran smirked. "Well, I'll be done with these pies until you're back from visiting your mom. Don't try to avoid it," she warned, seeing Shinichi avoiding eye contact with her.

"Who cares about that _obaa-san_?" Shinichi grumbled, then was whacked by Ran. Rubbing his sore head, he winced. "Sorry, I'll get going..." he apologised, tucking his hands into his red hoodie. Ran smiled at that, then handed a basket to him. "Good to hear. Send Yukiko-san my regards," she grinned, waving to the departing Shinichi.

Shinichi stopped on the way to the entrance of the dark forest, buying a few treats on the way. After all, chocolate would be appreciated by him, right? Thanking the shopkeeper with a bright smile, he tucked it into his basket. Covering the cloth over the picnic basket, he yawned. 'I bet Ran must be laughing with Sonoko behind my back,' he sighed. Soon enough, he reached the entrance of the woods.

The sign which read '**WOODS**' was worn out badly due to poor maintenance, and he took a look for good measure. He shrugged, taking out the newspaper he brought along as well. On the cover page was the news of a figure lurking in the woods. Shinichi was scanning through the different news until he bumped into something hard. "Ouch! Must be a tree again..." he mumbled to himself, then looked up to see face to face with furry ears. "E-eh!?" he exclaimed, blinking twice.

The figure in front of him was grinning widely, hands tucked casually in his pockets. Two sharp, brown ears poked out from the messy light brown hair on his head, a furry tail swooshing behind him as well. "Well, if it isn't _'Shin-chan'_. Are you happy to see me again?" the half-wolf grinned, violet eyes sparkling mischeviously. Shinichi scowled, whacking him with the now rolled-up newspapers.

"Stop it, Kaito, how many times has it been...?" he muttered, rolling his eyes. Kaito only looked at him innocently, scratching his ears. His tail, however, gave away the fact that he was excited to see Shinichi again. The half-wolf gave Shinichi a hug, his fangs poking out from his mouth when it was formed into a smile. "But it's been so long since I last saw you... You never come to visit me..." Kaito whined, until a chocolate bar was flung into his face.

"Here, just eat this and leave me alone, you perverted animal," Shinichi mumbled, face flushing. Kaito thanked him, unwrapping the chocolate and savoured the sweetness. Being half-wolf, he had the privilege of getting to eat what humans ate without getting sick like usual animals. Shinichi continued along his journey, Kaito walking in pace next to him. Watching the half-wolf eat the chocolate lick by lick, Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Can't you eat that more normally?" he asked, wiping a smudge off Kaito's face with a finger, then licked it clean.

Kaito paused in his licking, opting to watch Shinichi's tongue dart and trail along his finger. "Say, Shinichi," Kaito murmured, a hungry gaze taking over in his eyes. Shinichi noticed the change immediately and landed a well-aimed kick at the half-wolf's knee. Kaito's eyes reverted back into the soft violet, and he winced in pain. "Shinichi, that was a little..."

Shinichi hummed in amusement, remembering what his mother told him. "_Step three of protecting myself in the woods: If a wolf is trying to hit on you, kick where it really hurts. If it's Kaito, the knee will do,_" he recited, checking the surroundings. Kaito's eye twitched at that, wondering what the hell his mother had been teaching his darling Shinichi. Shinichi shrugged at Kaito's look, adding on, "My dad owns a shotgun. My mom won't hesitate to shoot anyone." Kaito laughed awkwardly, sweatdropping.

The rest of the walk in the lush, green forest was quiet, and Kaito bid Shinichi farewell when the Kudou mansion was in sight. "See you later, Shin-chan~!" he waved, disappearing into the deeper part of the forest. Shinichi smiled, the went up to the door.

Taking in a deep breath to calm himself, he knocked thrice. Within the time span of ten seconds, he heard hurried footsteps, then the door slammed open. A pretty lady in her early forties squashed Shinichi in a hug. "Mom! Can't...breathe..." he choked, trying to push her away. Yukiko was definitely overjoyed to see her only son visiting.

"Say, what did you bring over this time?" she asked, sniffing at the basket. She invited him in, shushing him when they passed the living room. "Your dad is still in there trying to complete his book," she whispered, putting a finger to her lips. "You wouldn't want to disturb him, right?"

Taking the basket, he handed it to her. "I'm going back now," he muttered, turning around to leave. However, hands snaked around his waist before he could do so. "K-Kaito!? When did you even come?" Shinichi exclaimed, pushing the half-wolf away from him. Yukiko was nowhere to be seen, and then Shinichi realised something. "You-you disguised as my mom and hid here, didn't you! I should have known that they were off for a holiday _again..."_ he slapped his hand on his face. Kaito grinned, placing the basket on a nearby shelf. "After all, I do love you, Shinichi," he grinned wolfishly, his fangs poking through.

Sighing, Shinichi wondered what he should do in this situation. After all, considering all the facts, he came to this conclusion. One, his parents aren't home. Two, Kaito, the half-wolf, was in the house. Three, they were **alone**. Glancing at the innocent looking smile that the wolf was sending him, Shinichi scowled. "I'm not falling for that one again..." he muttered, pushing Kaito away from his face.

Kaito pouted, his ears drooping slightly. "But Shinichi, I really wanna kiss you right now!" he sighed, looking dejected. Of course, Shinichi having a soft spot for that sad little look, he turned around and glanced back at the half-wolf. "Promise me that you won't go any further?" he asked, taking a tentative step forward. Kaito nodded enthusiastically, his row of sharp teeth showing through his wide smile. Shinichi closed his eyes as he waited for Kaito to initiate the kiss, nervously waiting for the half-wolf to make his move.

Feeling the warm arms snaking around his waist, he was pulled closer to Kaito, the soothing scent of the forest calming his racing heart down. Shinichi felt Kaito's lips ghosting over his own, the feathery touch tingling his lips. Impatient by his teasing, Shinichi leaned forwards, closing the distance between them. He pulled back from the kiss soon enough, tugging at the arms around his waist. Kaito looked rather surprised at first, then pouted.

"Aw, Shinichi, couldn't we kiss longer?" he muttered, crossing his arms childishly.

Shinichi deadpanned at him, "Well, remember the last time that happened?" Kaito winced at that thought. He remembered crossing that unspoken boundary, and he learnt how just how powerful Shinichi could kick. Seeing Kaito flinch, Shinichi thought for a while before stroking the sensitive wolf's ears. Kaito was whimpering, his face covered in a faint blush. His tail was flickering from side to side rapidly. "S-Shinichi..." he mumbled, moving closer to sniff him.

Shinichi smiled, sitting down on the living room floor with him. "Doesn't it feel good, Kaito?" Shinichi murmured, rubbing the soft and velvet ears. Kissing the tip of each ear, he grinned. "Now, shall I torture you...?" he whispered, azure eyes linking with hazy violet ones. Kaito let out a soft breath, wriggling out of Shinichi's grasp. "You... You're trying to seduce me, Shinichi?" Kaito muttered, eyeing the brunette opposite him. Shinichi fluttered his eyelashes, bringing a finger to his lips.

"Who knows?" Shinichi stared levelly with Kaito, then stood up. "I have to go back now. Ran made lemon pies; better get it while it's still hot," he said, watching as the half-wolf's ear twitched in irritation. He tucked the key back into his red hoodie, taking the basket along with him. "Kaito, let's go," he called out, folding the towel neatly onto the basket. Kaito leapt onto his feet, tail wagging happily, a large grin plastered onto his face. Hooking his arm with Shinichi's, they went out the door, Kaito swiftly locking the door behind them.

Shinichi couldn't tell where Kaito was bringing him to, until they reached a grassy clearing. Placing the basket on the tree stump, Kaito grinned widely when he faced Shinichi. "Don't you remember? This was where you saved me, this little half-wolf, from being killed by those crazy villagers. You were the only one who didn't run from me, but instead, helped me into your house and helped me. Wolf magic may not be really easy to control, but you still stayed with me to help me practise. What made me fall in love with you was the way you stood up to those people, confidently and full of anger at those who hurt others..." Kaito murmured, reminiscing the past.

Digging through his pockets, he leapt off the rock that he climbed upon, the small object enclosed in his palm. "Here, I wanted to give this to you; I made it myself!" Kaito boasted, taking Shinichi's hand gently and placing a ring in the middle of his palm. Shinichi observed the ring: it had a slight bluish tinge to the silver, and the stone on it was a finely-cut emerald. Shinichi was surprised, looking into Kaito's hopeful eyes that was awaiting an answer. "So, I suppose this is where I kneel down and say, 'Will you marry me?'" Kaito joked, seeing Shinichi's blank expression.

Laughing, Shinichi took the ring before Kaito had a chance to take it back. "Stop joking," Shinichi laughed, fingering the ring in his left hand.

Kaito was amazed at the view that he was facing now. Shinichi was glowing with the soft sunlight, highlighting his short, chocolate-brown locks that were blown gently by the cooling breeze, blue eyes clearer than the vast ocean glittering from the sunlight. A dazzling smile was formed by soft, pink lips, his face dusted with a blush. He had never seen a sight more beautiful than this. Shinichi took the ring and wore it on his finger. Surprisingly, it fit perfectly. Shinichi looked back at the half-wolf suspiciously before hugging him.

Shinichi was smiling happily, happiness dancing in his eyes. His eyes fluttered shut, kissing Kaito full on the lips, his hands cupping the sides of Kaito's handsome face. Kaito's hands were stunned at his sides by the sudden kiss, and they wrapped around Shinichi. Shinichi was not the best kisser, but he made the kiss so sweet and perfect. Tasting the chocolate on Kaito's lips, he opened the gap between his lips invitingly, allowing the half-wolf access into his mouth.

Kaito's tongue was rough like a wolf's, causing Shinichi to feel the interesting sensations of a rough tongue against his own. Passion burning brightly inside him, he could feel the raw love that Kaito had for him radiating off in waves. Shinichi broke the kiss, panting for oxygen. Kaito's eyes were half-lidded, and somehow, they ended up sitting on the floor.

"Here's my thanks for the present," Shinichi whispered, rubbing the brown ears affectionately, shaking his head.

"If you're going to be doing this every time, I'll bring more presents for you," Kaito grinned, hugging Shinichi close to him. They were locked in the hug for quite a while until Shinichi remembered the lemon pies awaiting him at home. "Kaito," he said, pulling from the warm hug and staring straight into violet. "I have to go now, or they'll send a search party for me. It's already sun-down, and Ran is probably waiting for me..." he murmured, seeing Kaito's pout. "Well, I'll see you again tomorrow, that's for sure," Shinichi smiled, ruffling Kaito's messy locks before standing up and walking out to the forest.

"Don't worry, I won't lose my way. As you already remember, I played in these woods when I was younger," Shinichi waved, entering the darkening woods and returning to the village. Kaito called out his goodbyes to the other male, a bright grin plastered onto his face.

Of course, Ran was worried sick and fussing over Shinichi. "Oh my, Shinichi! Were you lost or something? Why were there so many leaves and branches stuck onto your shirt and hair?" she cried, seeing Shinichi's slightly battered look. "And why are you so late?"

Waving his hand at her, he rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, Ran, nothing to worry about. I just went off the usual path to go to my secret spot to think," he mumbled, taking the twig out from his hair. Ran's eyes focused onto the green gem that glittered on his ring finger. "Oh my! Shinichi! You got yourself engaged?!" she exclaimed, taking up his right hand to examine it further. "And it's your birthstone, too! This is such a rare thing to see..."

Shinichi felt self-conscious, pulling his hand away from Ran. She gave him a knowing look. "You went out with your secret rich girlfriend and she gave you a ring?" she smirked, crossing her arms. Shinichi rolled his eyes, attempting to shoo her away. "Stop it, Ran. It wasn't some rich, snobby girl; you know how much I hate those kind of people," he muttered, hastily adding, "not that I was referring to Sonoko. And no, I'm not engaged."

"Wait, so it's a guy?" she asked, confused. Shinichi scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to tell her. After all, it was hard to convince Ran when she set her mind on something. She squealed, grabbing hold of her best friend's hands. "Shinichi, I'm really happy for you! It's great how that you have someone who really cares for you!" she grinned, then pulled him along to the bedrooms. "Go and bathe, then come down for dinner; Dad has something he wanted to discuss," she called out, tying the apron back on. "It seemed serious."

Shinichi nodded, smiling at the emerald placed it on the table and headed for the showers. When he was done, he took the ring back and wore it. He now wore a black turtle neck sweater and loose trousers, heading downstairs for dinner.

However, he was greeted by the sight of two people he never wanted to see: self-claimed best friend and wolf-hunter one, Hattori Heiji and wolf-hunter two, Hakuba Saguru. Scowling slightly, he seated himself opposite them. Both of their sharp gazes zoomed in onto his ring, then back onto Shinichi's usual calm face.

"Kudou, that ring ain't there the day before," Hattori mumbled, pointing it out. "Did someone propose ta' ya'?" Shinichi shook his head between bites, not much in the mood for talking. Hakuba was eyeing it, noticing the intricate designs carved.

"Is that ring...from a person related to a wolf?" Hakuba asked. Shinichi choked on the soup, then tried to keep calm.

"No, it isn't," he muttered, hiding the ring from view. "I got this as a special gift from someone, so stop asking me. Maybe this was made by a person related to the wolves, so what?" he scowled, watching them angrily. Of course, Kogoro, Ran's father, had to storm into the room in this timing, scowling. "They were issuing an order for the wolf found in the forest to be captured, half-blood or not," he announced, and Shinichi's eyes widened.

Hakuba noticed this, and his smirk widened. Shinichi clasped onto the ring subconsciously, then looked at the other two uninvited guests. "No, it can't be... You know how I feel about this!" he snapped at them. "Even half-wolves are creatures with lives, you know! How long has it been since the last killing by the wolves? A century, may I remind you! So why? Why does this still continue!?"

"Being defensive, Kudou? I really wonder... Does your wolfy friend go by the name of Kuroba Kaito?" Hakuba folded his arms confidently, amber eyes watching Shinichi's every move. Shinichi was speechless, then he laughed.

"By what evidence of your claim can you give? It's not like you can prove anything! Who is this Kuroba Kaito anyway?" he growled, glaring at the blond, not liking that smirk one bit.

"Well, for one, I found trace of wolf hair on your red hoodie," he grinned, "the one that you were wearing earlier!" Shinichi was eerily calm, a smile plastered on his face. His azure blue eyes flashed dangerously, staring down the half-Brit. "So? Wolf hair is found anywhere in the forest where I go to, what can you prove from that?" he smirked, drinking from the cup of water.

Hakuba stared at Shinichi before throwing a piece of paper at him. "You are ordered to join the hunt for the wolf tomorrow. Capture this half-blood wolf alive. Although, I would prefer to do it myself so that I can prove that you were on the wolves' side, and the penalty for that is imprisonment, or death, depending on the head's orders!" he laughed, standing up and taking a look at his pocket-watch. "See you tomorrow, Kudou."

Hattori watched as the half-Brit disappeared into the night, then saw that Shinichi was shaking in anger. "That bastard..." Shinichi snarled, slamming his fists onto the table in frustration. Hattori tried to soothe his friend, who stood up and went to lock himself in his room. Ran was worried for her best friend, glancing back at Hattori.

The next morning arrived, much to Shinichi's dismay. He had to go and find Kaito before they did, or he would never see him again. Shinichi ran off to the forests via a secret pathway from the village, sprinting through trees and bushes. Seeing a familiar figure, he ran towards it. "Kaito! Run!" he called out to the figure, who seemed frozen to the spot. The figure's head turned to face him before Shinichi saw the shadows of the wolf-hunters.

Now, he noticed that the half-wolf was trapped in by four wolf-hunter, Hakuba in the lead. "Kuroba, you won't trick any more people! Wolves all deserve to die, ever since the bloodbath that happened a century ago! Tell me, do you know Kudou Shinichi?" he asked, seeing the defiant look in the half-wolf's eyes. Shinichi opted to watch from a distance, wanting to interrupt them and save Kaito, but he knew that he would be overpowered.

Kaito smirked up at the half-Brit even though he was in a terrible situation. "What makes you think I want anything to do with that trash? Wolves have no feelings, according to you, right?" Kaito spat, violet eyes boring straight into amber ones. Hakuba was snorting in amusement, clenching his fist around the trigger of the gun. However, he had to remember that the head wanted this particular half-wolf alive. Glaring at Kaito, Hakuba gestured to the others to tie him up. Then, he glanced around into the trees, sensing another presence.

Shinichi evened out his breathing, cocking the gun that he owned. He was ready to save Kaito even if it meant injuring the people he knew since he was a kid. He was would be able to avoid shooting the vital points, but then again... He looked back into the clearing once more, and locked his eyes with Kaito's. Kaito was smirking, but his eyes was conveying to Shinichi that he should never take action, and that he should not interfere. Shinichi frowned and was about to go away when Hakuba called out to him.

"Kudou! There you are!" he growled, glaring at the brunette. Shinichi stowed his gun away, locking on the safety. He appeared from the trees, acting casual, his hands tucked in his pocket. Shinichi had left the ring on a necklace instead since it was hidden better. Kaito was snapping at the others, eyes locked onto the two now hostile people. Shinichi had folded his arms, watching the half-wolf carefully. "Let's go send him in to the head, then," Shinichi murmured icily, bending down in front of Kaito and examining him. Kaito was making a good show of snarling and growling, his eyes conveying his anger at the others.

Shinichi tilted his head at Hakuba, smiling venomously. "I'll go inform the head that the beast has been captured; you'll bring it along behind me, understood? After all, I am your senior." Shinichi was satisfied to see that Hakuba looked as if he was slapped in the face. Bringing Kaito with his hands now tied and a shock collar on, the journey back to the village was silent except for the rustling of the forest path. Shinichi guided them effortlessly through the familiar forest, hands brushing past familiar bark of the tall evergreen trees.

The head of the village was Sonoko's father, Suzuki Shiro. Beside him was a cloaked individual with long red hair, and she was female. Koizumi Akako was delighted, awaiting for her favourite half-wolf to be delivered to this doorstep. The door slammed open with a loud bang, and Kaito was roughly shoved inside by Hakuba. Shinichi scowled, muttering 'animal abuse' under his breath. Akako bent down to Kaito's eye level, a wide grin on her face. "Kuroba Kaito, ready to say that you love me yet?" she whispered quietly, using her act of inspecting the half-wolf to cover their conversation. Kaito ignored her, staring pointedly at the wooden floorboards.

Akako wasn't happy. "You know, I could make your life miserable... Wait, on second thought, why not I put a curse on Kudou Shinichi instead, since you liked him so much? It must be horrible to see your loved ones in pain," she cackled, her fingers tracing the handsome features of Kaito's face. Kaito's eyes widened a fraction before his wolfish grin widened, bright violet eyes glowing slightly. "Just try, and I won't show mercy on you, witch," he growled quietly, danger flickering in his eyes.

Akako flinched back from the half-wolf, glaring at the wolf hunters. "I will restrain this wolf with my magic, and keep him to practise my magic on. After all, a half-wolf is really useful..." she laughed, her scarlet eyes glowing with her magic. However, Shinichi blocked Kaito from Akako's view, his glare piercing. He hissed in pain when a scarlet mark of a snake was branded onto his arm, clutching onto his arm in pain. Kaito struggled against his bonds for the first time ever since he was captured, shouting, "Don't hurt Shinichi, Akako!"

Shinichi waved at him for silence, staring straight at Akako's shocked face. He winced at the burning sensation, then pointed his finger at her. "You have no right to lay a hand on this half-wolf until you can show evidence that he has done something wrong. After all, half-wolves are half-humans too. If you kill him or imprison him without any evidence, I am sure the head, Suzuki Shiro, will be able to charge you with murder or torture," Shinichi snapped, glaring at Hakuba.

Kaito was impressed by Shinichi's defense for him, and he shook his head. After all, you can't argue with a witch, especially one that can control all the male population except for one. Akako was staring seductively at Shinichi, pouting slightly. "Can't you change your mind, detective? Why don't you just give me that half-wolf?" she crooned, a short spell flowing at Shinichi. However, Shinichi's icy gaze never waivered. He folded his arms impatiently, observing Akako's eyes widening. "H-how?!" she cried, flinching away from him. Kaito was grinning, his eyes covered in shadow by his messy hair.

Akako growled, summoning a fireball. "You dare to disobey me? I curse you to-!" she cried, a snake already halfway towards Shinichi when it was snapped by fingers. Hakuba was out of his earlier trance-like state, watching Akako with his eagle-like eyes. "Enough, Akako, I thought you didn't curse anyone. From what I see, you are the one inflicting harm on the others, not the wolves. Wolves naturally shy away from people, so I now understand why. You must have hypnotised the alpha, right?" Hakuba deduced, restraining Akako's arms behind her. She struggled for a moment and her eyes widened. "Kaito broke the spell-?!"

Shinichi, sweating bullets, collapsed at this point, clutching his arm that was burning with the snake. Kaito broke free of the restraints, watching as the snake stretched over his whole arm, and continued along his body. Kaito was holding him preciously in his arms, snarling at Akako. "Remove the curse!" he spat, his violet eyes turning darker with rage. Akako shook her head, cackling, "I can remove it, but I don't have the power now. Only his true love's kiss can undo it for the moment. And to make things better (or worse), he only has until the end of this week, which is tomorrow, to break the curse, or he dies. That, I didn't plan, because I forgot that it was a Saturday already."

Kaito watched as Hakuba and the others were broken from under Akako's spell, and they were bringing her into confinement. Kaito watched as Shinichi stopped twitching and was calm now, his whole arm imprinted with the snake. "That was one horrid spell, huh, Kaito... I'm glad that it didn't hit you," he murmured, rubbing the sore area. Kaito carried Shinichi bridal-style, with a few complaints from Shinichi, he brought him back to Ran's house.

Ran ran out from the house, a panicked look on her face. "Shinichi!" she exclaimed, seeing the weirdly-patterned markings on his arm. Shinichi wriggled out from Kaito's grasp, taking a few shaky steps back. "I'll find out the way to cure this for you, all right? After all, it was aimed at me, wasn't it?" Kaito growled, clenching his fists in anger. "I was the one that was supposed to die, not you."

Smack! Kaito held his cheek, eyes wide in shock. Shinichi was glaring , his face darkened with anger. "Don't ever say that you were meant to die. All living things have the right to live their lives; it's your choices which decides your life path, not fate. I never believed in fate anyway," he muttered, turning around and smiled at Ran. "I need time off, so I'll be going home." Shinichi glanced at Kaito warily before smiling. "Aren't you going to help me?" he asked, and Kaito only agreed. Shinichi paused before giving Ran a short peck on her lips before following Kaito into the woods.

"Thanks for everything, Ran."

Ran held her hand to her heart, eyes brimming with tears. Why did it seemed that Shinichi was so far away now...?

The Kudou mansion was once more occupied by the two, the older one drinking a cup of coffee and reading books. Seeing the detective doing nothing but reading, Kaito yawned widely, scratching out people from his mental list of people. After all, how many people would Shinichi's true love be?

First, there was Ran, but then again, when Shinichi kissed her earlier, there wasn't any change to the spell. Secretly, Kaito was glad because he now knew that Shinichi didn't like Ran that way.

Next, there was the self-proclaimed best friend, Hattori Heiji. After all, the other wolf-hunter had the smarts, although not as smart as his Shinichi, and was athletic. 'That could be a possibility,' Kaito mused, until he realised...

"Hakuba Saguru..." he mumbled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. If there was any tension thicker than that between them, they would be choking already. 'After all, the line between love and hate is fine indeed,' he thought, crossing his arms and pouting. Staring at Shinichi's arm, he felt the guilt creeping up on him. He shifted further from where Shinichi was seated, then went to the window. The forest pidgeons, which he made friends with, were tasked to fly to those people he thought would be Shinichi's true love with a letter explaining the situation. Watching the white birds go, he glanced back at the other brunette that was still engrossed in his book.

His ears flattened when he caught Shinichi's brief gaze before he turned around to look outside. He was caught off-guard when Shinichi appeared right next to him, lacing his hands with Kaito's. "You are acting weird," Shinichi mumbled, pushing their foreheads together. "And I thought I was the one running a fever." Kaito laughed awkwardly, shifting further from Shinichi. Sliding his hand out of the detective's grasp, he caught the hurt look on his face.

"I-I'm sorry, but maybe we should wait until they arrive."

"...They?" Shinichi tilted his head in curiosity. Kaito nodded, his usually enthusiastically wagging tail now limp. Shinichi was observing the half-wolf carefully, then smiled.

"You don't have to beat yourself over it anymore. After all, is a reason needed to save someone else?" he said, watching the darkening sky outside. "I heard from Akako; I will die tomorrow, right? Don't look like you're crying, Kaito, I won't. Trust me." Shinichi petted the half-wolf's ears, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

Shinichi left for the bedroom to turn in for the night, having eaten the leftover pies that Ran gave them. Kaito collasped into the nearby chair, head in his hands. 'W-what if...they aren't? Shinichi really is going to die... And it's all my fault...' Kaito pondered, watching the darkening sky from where he sat. He closed his eyes, covering them with an arm. He wished that tomorrow would never come.

When Shinichi knew the half-wolf was fast asleep, he crept out from his bedroom, throwing his blanket around the two of them and snuggled into the warmth. Kaito was just like a nice heater, and his forest scent was comforting. Shinichi soon fell asleep, murmuring something to Kaito before falling asleep.

Next morning, Kaito awoke to find something that was not there before aside from the fact that Shinichi was sleeping beside him. More of the curse had covered Shinichi's body, now including both arms. A little of the snake's tail trailing downwards and the head of the snake was at Shinichi's collarbone. Leaping away from the detective, Kaito stunned at the sight of Shinichi. Even with the markings, it made Shinichi seem even more stunning, with the peaceful sleeping face shown for him to see. Until Shinichi's eyes snapped open abruptly.

"Good morning to you too, hentai wolf," Shinichi yawned, stretching like a cat. Without a second glance at his arms, he looked at Kaito expectantly. Kaito was puzzled, wondering what exactly Shinichi was up to. Shinichi seemed to give up after a while, pointing to the window. "While I'm washing up, you can check your birdmail." Kaito nodded, taking the letter from the pidgeons.

Ripping apart the letters, he was highly disappointed at the replies. From Hattori, he got the distinct impression that he was trying to convey something to him, but Hattori had kind of lost Kaito after 'you dumbass'. From Hakuba, he scanned through and scowled.

"You aren't the sharpest knife in the toolbox," Shinichi read, causing Kaito to be startled by the sudden presence. "What exactly did you write to Hakuba to make him say that?" Kaito shook his head, showing that he did not want to explain. Shinichi pouted, crossing his arms. "Idiot," Shinichi mumbled, looking away from Kaito. The half-wolf was confused about what Shinichi was trying to convey to him. Kaito decided that 'Plan A: Find and make Shinichi's True Love Kiss Him' was failing and decided to use the second plan: 'Plan B: Spend the remaining time together with Shinichi'.

Kaito stuck with his plan through the whole day, but he still kept his distance. Shinichi seemed to be upset about something; Kaito reasoned that because Shinichi wouldn't live when the day ends. Seeing those sad blue, blue eyes made Kaito's heart break, but the guilt of causing it to happen on that very person made his heart shatter.

Evening rolled around quickly, and Shinichi was watching the darkening sky. Lighting a candle, Kaito placed it in the candlestand in the middle of the table. "Shinichi..." Kaito began, and those eyes became focused on him. "I want to say that, even though I may not be seeing you anymore, I just want you to know that, I...I..." Choking on the words that never seemed to come out, Shinichi stood up from his side of the table and shifted into a more comfortable position.

Smiling serenely, Shinichi mumbled, "I'm glad that I can spend all these times together with you, and only you have a special place in my heart." Kaito's ears perked up when he heard it, then his eyes widened in realisation.

"Wait, so I-!" Kaito was cut off by Shinichi's lips on his, the detective nipping playfully at his bottom lip. With Shinichi's hands restraining his head, Kaito had no choice but to indulge in the kiss (not that he objected to anyway). Wrapping a steady arm around Shinichi, he pulled him closer to deepen the kiss, feeling every pant of Shinichi's hot breath. He could feel the hot passion burn their lips where they connected, and he couldn't wait to restart the flame.

Kaito made Shinichi sit on his leg, and pulled him down for another kiss. This time, Shinichi gave him full access into his mouth, and small moans of pleasure from him made Kaito groan as well. Tongues battling for dominance, Kaito won easily, his rougher tongue rubbing gently, then added more pressure while rubbing. Shinichi's moans increased in volume, his face flushed red. Shinichi was now rubbing at Kaito's velvet ears, and Kaito whimpered at the contact. A deep growl came from inside Kaito's throat, and he broke the kiss apart.

Shinichi could feel the curse on him disappearing, and watch as the snake uncoiled around his arms and evaporated. Feeling the soft brown locks of Kaito's hair, Shinichi kissed his forehead. "I love you too, my hentai wolf," he smiled, giving him a hug. Kaito was hugging him tightly, a wide grin on his face. "Who knew my Shin-chan was telepathic too!" he joked, hearing Shinichi laugh.

They watchedas the sun fully set and the night sky turned dark, the stars illuminating and spread out across the wide night sky. Howls of the other wolves could be heard ringing through the dark forest. Lying on the grassy floor, Kaito and Shinichi stared up at the brightly shining moon, their hands tightly clasped with each other.

"Promise, under the sacred moon, that you'll forever be with me," Kaito murmured, smiling at Shinichi. Shinichi nodded, closing his eyes and smiling back.

"And of course, you too."

And they lived happily ever after.


End file.
